Minnesota set to face Texas Tech in Meineke Car Care Bowl

Updated 11:10 pm, Sunday, December 2, 2012

Texas Tech wanted to stay close to home for its bowl. And in recent weeks, Minnesota began a letter-writing campaign from influential alumni lobbying bowl organizers for a trip to Houston.

Both got their wish Sunday, with Texas Tech (Big 12) and Minnesota (Big Ten) accepting invitations to the Dec. 28 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas at Reliant Stadium. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. and be televised on ESPN.

For Texas Tech (7-5), it's a return to the postseason after having its 11-year bowl run snapped last season. After a 6-1 start this season, which included consecutive wins over No. 5 West Virginia and No. 23 TCU, the Red Raiders struggled down the stretch with losses in four of their last five games.

"It looked like there were opportunities for us to play other places, but for our program right now, what we need to do and where we need to go, this is perfect for us," Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said.

In coach Jerry Kill's second season, the Gophers (6-6) went from 3-9 to their first bowl berth since 2009.

"We still have a long way to go,we understand that, but we're certainly taking steps forward in our program," Kill said.

Texas Tech and Minnesota will have a tough time with a bowl encore. In the last meeting, Tech rallied from a 31-point, third-quarter deficit — the largest comeback in FBS bowl history — for a 44-41 overtime victory in the 2006 Insight Bowl.

Heather Houston, the Meineke Bowl's executive director, said landing Texas Tech — which will make its first bowl appearance in Houston since the 2003 EV1.net Houston Bowl — gives the bowl a regionally appealing team.

"We've been crossing our fingers to get Tech for the last couple of years," Houston said. "It's such a fun team to watch."

The bowl trip is especially important for recruiting, Kill said, with 13 players on the Gophers' roster from Texas, including redshirt sophomore wide receiver Logan Hutton from La Marque.

"It feels really good to welcome a team here that wants to be here," Houston said.

The game will feature a contrast in styles. Texas Tech is 12th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense and No. 2 in passing behind quarterback Seth Doege (3,934 yards and 38 touchdowns). Minnesota is 29th in total defense and 39th in scoring defense."We know we have our hands full," Kill said.

Kill said he's "feeling great" and "looks forward to coaching in the bowl" after returning to work last week following a seizure at halftime of a Nov. 24 game against Michigan State. Kill has a history of seizures and has had three game-day episodes in the last two seasons.